Sherwood Watershed Map .......................................................................................................... Inside coverWelcome ................................................................................................................................................2Raindrops to Refuge.............................................................................................................................. . 3

Watershed Action Plan.............................................................................................................4Projects to Date.......................................................................................................................4You Can Get Involved!...............................................................................................................5

Greenway Map................................................................................................................................. .......6Sherwood’s Greenways .................................................................................................................................. 7

What Good are Greenways? ........................................................................................................... 7City of Sherwood Open Space and Greenway Management Program .............................................. 7Cedar Creek Greenway Trail System - Enjoy It! ............................................................................... 8

Protect These Fragile Areas ........................................................................................................................... 9Volunteer ........................................................................................................................................ 9Become an Open Space Steward with the City of Sherwood ........................................................... 9Learn About Watershed Health ..................................................................................................... 10 What is a Watershed? ............................................................................................................ 10 What is a Riparian Area? ........................................................................................................ 10 What is a Wetland? ................................................................................................................ 10Control Erosion ............................................................................................................................. 11Limit Impervious Surfaces........................................................................................................11Care for Buffer Strips...............................................................................................................11Fight Invasive Species.............................................................................................................12Try Natural Gardening ............................................................................................................13 Native Plants....................................................................................................................13 Sample Site Plan.......................................................................................................... ...14 Right Plant, Right Place....................................................................................................15 Plant Diversity..................................................................................................................15 Look at Your Lawn............................................................................................................15 Build Healthy Soil.............................................................................................................15 Create Wildlife Habitat................................................................................................... ...16Be Water Wise.................................................................................................................... ..17 Watering Your Yard...........................................................................................................17 Water-Saving Tips.............................................................................................................17 Car Care......................................................................................................................... 18 Inside Your House............................................................................................................18

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Map.........................................................................................19Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.................................................................................................20 Upstream Impacts............................................................................................................20

Restoration Program......................................................................................................21 Friends of the Refuge.....................................................................................................21

Group Projects............................................................................................................................22For and About Kids......................................................................................................................23 Activities Just For Kids.......................................................................................................24

“Monitor Your Watershed” Coloring Sheet...........................................................................25 “Oregon Wetland Wildlife: Beaver and Wood Duck” Coloring Sheet......................................26

Resources....................................................................................................................................27Partner Information.....................................................................................................................28Tualatin Basin Watershed Map............................................................................Inside back cover

From Raindrops to RefugeA Handbook for Taking Action in Sherwood’s Watersheds

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Thank You for Your Generous Support

City of Sherwood Three Rivers Land Conservancy20 NW Washington St. P.O. Box 1116Sherwood, OR 97140 Lake Oswego, OR 97035503-625-5522 503-699-9825www.ci.sherwood.or.us www.trlc.org

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Sherwood Family YMCA16507 SW Roy Rogers Road 23000 SW Pacific Hwy.Sherwood, OR 97140 Sherwood, OR 97140503-590-5811 503-625-9622

Friends of the Refuge Tualatin RiverkeepersP.O. Box 1306 16507 SW Roy Rogers RoadSherwood, OR 97140 Sherwood, OR 97140503-972-7714 503-590-5813www.friendsoftualatinrefuge.org www.tualatinriverkeepers.org

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sherwood Middle SchoolOregon Fish and Wildlife Office Refuge Club2600 SE 98th Ave. 400 N. Sherwood Blvd.Portland, OR 97266 Sherwood, OR 97140http://oregonfwo.fws.gov/ 503-925-2636

Clean Water Services Tualatin River Watershed Council2550 SW Hillsboro Hwy. P.O. Box 338Hillsboro, OR 97123 Hillsboro, OR 97123503-681-3600 503-846-4810www.cleanwaterservices.org www.trwc.org

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Partner Information

Welcome

Raindrops to Refuge is pleased to present this publicationfor the community. We hope you will enjoy learning aboutSherwood’s watersheds and tips to help protect waterquality. This guidebook is meant to serve as a resourceand reference. Please place it on your bookshelf and referto it often.

Together we can make a difference in our community nowand for generations to come.

Our special thanks go to Metro, Portland General Electric,Tualatin River Watershed Council, and the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service for sponsoring this guidebook.

Credits

CoverAshton Naef

CopywritingJanet BechtoldKay BloukeRon GarstKen HufferChris LappNoreen O’ConnorAmber Reese

PhotosMorley BloukeJulia CrownChristine EganKen HufferAmber ReeseUSFWS

Sample Site PlanVirginia Maffitt

IllustrationsBer ChapmanClyde List

ReviewersJulia CrownMargot Fervia-NeamtzuKen HufferMike MarxenNoreen O’ConnorAmber ReeseMarilyn StinnettKim Strassburg

PrintingPortland General ElectricKinko’s

St. Charles Trail, Sherwood

Copyright © 2004 by Raindrops to Refuge

Raindrops to Refuge20 NW Washington St.Sherwood, OR 97140503-625-4223www.raindrops2refuge.org

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Books

Exploring the Tualatin River Basin, Tualatin Riverkeepers,Oregon State University Press, 2002.

Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest,Kruckeberg, University of Washington Press, 1996.

Naturescaping: A Landscaping Partnership with Nature, Oregon Department of Fishand Wildlife, 2001.

Naturescaping for Clean Rivers, City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Services,Portland, OR, 1995.

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Pojar and Mackinnon, Lone Pine Publishing/British Columbia Forest Service, 1994.

Sherwood’s Heritage Trail Guidebook, Sherwood Historical Society.

Sunset Western Garden Book, edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel, Menlo Park, CA,Sunset Publishing Corp., 2001.

Watershed Stewardship: A Learning Guide, Oregon State University ExtensionService, 2002.

Wild in the City: A Guide to Portland’s Natural Areas, edited by Michael C. Houck andM. J. Cody, Oregon Historical Society Press, 2000.

More Helpful Websites

Bosky Dell Natives www.boskydellnatives.com

Clean Rivers and Streams www.cleanriversandstreams.org

Clean Water Services www.cleanwaterservices.org

Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov

Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife www.dfw.state.or.us

Plant Native www.plantnative.org

Portland Metro Regional Services www.metro-region.org

National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org

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Resources

Raindrops to RefugeYour Community Watershed Group

The City of Sherwood is one of the fastestgrowing cities in Oregon, with an increase inpopulation from 2,500 in 1989 to over 14,000in 2004. This growth has impacted the City’spublic greenways, water quality, fish andwildlife habitat, and the Tualatin RiverNational Wildlife Refuge.

Sherwood residents and stakeholder groups became increasingly concerned about theimpacts of rapid growth in their community and its effect on watershed health. Raindropsto Refuge (R2R) was initiated in 2001 by a group of concerned residents along withrepresentatives from the City of Sherwood, the Sherwood Institute of Sustainability, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, and theSherwood School District.

Raindrops to Refuge (R2R)’s mission is to inspire, educate,and facilitate community actions to assess, restore, and

preserve the ecological health of Sherwood’s watersheds.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has listed all three of Sherwood’screeks as “water quality limited.” This means that the stream temperatures, bacterialevels, and dissolved oxygen levels are all too high.

Most of these problems are related to increased levels and velocity of stormwater runoff,pollution caused by heavy pesticide and herbicide use, lack of tree canopies alongstreams, and increased erosion due to runoff from development.

Sherwood’s rapid growth has increased these problems. R2R’s goals include educatinghomeowners and rural landowners on how they impact these natural resources. R2Rprovides residents and landowners the information and resources they need to becomemore actively involved in local decision-making regarding natural resource protection, andto change their own behaviors that impact the watersheds.

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One RaindropOne RaindropOne RaindropOne RaindropOne RaindropMakes a Difference!Makes a Difference!Makes a Difference!Makes a Difference!Makes a Difference!

What is a Watershed?The area that is confined by ridge tops that drainswater into a given stream or river. Sherwood’s threewatersheds, which cover approximately 23 squaremiles, are created by Rock, Cedar, and ChickenCreeks. The creeks run through a mix of suburbanand rural land uses, including nurseries, tree farms,forests, and businesses, flowing through the City ofSherwood to the Tualatin River National WildlifeRefuge and then into the Tualatin River.

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Oregon Wetland Wildlife:Beaver and Wood Duck

Courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service

Watershed Action Plan

R2R’s activities are guided by a Watershed Action Plan designed by R2R and itspartners. Stream surveys and fish and wildlife habitat modeling were used to identifysections of Sherwood’s watersheds (known as “reaches”) for priority in conservation andrestoration. The Action Plan helps to focus the work of R2R and its partners in priorityareas. By synchronizing the actions, resources, and planning for restoration, education,conservation, and outreach, R2R fills a need identified by its partners to better leverageresources, avoid duplication of effort, and build on each other’s successes.

The Watershed Action Plan is divided into four components composed of 28 strategies torevive the health of Sherwood’s watersheds. The four components are Restoration,Conservation, Education and Outreach, and Assessment/Monitoring. Each comprehensivestrategy includes: a project description, project leads, potential partners and fundingsources, target areas, relationships to other planning efforts or projects, benefits toconservation values or management goals, tools or types of source control, and potentialchallenges. A copy of the Action Plan may be viewed at the Sherwood Public Library,YMCA, or City Hall.

Projects To Date

Volunteer efforts to improve the health ofSherwood’s watersheds have beengaining momentum since 2002. R2R’sprojects educate community membersabout the Tualatin River National WildlifeRefuge, City greenways and openspaces, watershed functions, fish andwildlife habitats, and the impacts ofhomeowner landscaping practices. Thisguidebook contains many ideas on howto help improve your environment.

R2R’s watershed projects include:

• Community workshops highlighting natural gardening, water conservation, andgreenway stewardship.

• Production of informational brochures containing “helpful hints” for seasonal yard care,water savings, and alternative weed and pest management.

• Trail posts designed by local children that have been installed along the greenways,with watershed plants and wildlife depicted on colorful tiles.

• Volunteer plantings of native vegetation along creeks, helping to restore water quality.

• Future projects include stream surveys, culvert replacements, stream stewardprograms, and wetland restoration and enhancements.

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You Can Get Involved!

In this guidebook, you can find ways to help improve your community. The responsibility toprotect and restore Sherwood’s watersheds belongs to all of us. Whether you live two feetor two miles from the nearest stream, your activities as a watershed resident impact thecreeks and the Refuge and their ability to provide wildlife habitat and flood protection,improve water quality, and provide a safe and enjoyable place for people. Volunteersprovide the extra workforce necessary to carry out R2R’s mission. If you would like to getinvolved with R2R or learn more about our homeowner education workshops, youtheducation programs, restoration and conservation activities, and other opportunities,please contact us:

Raindrops to RefugeCity of Sherwood20 NW Washington StreetSherwood, OR 97140

Phone: 503-625-4223Fax: 503-625-5524Email: info@raindrops2refuge.orgWebsite: www.raindrops2refuge.org

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Planting at Woodhaven Park

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Watershed Model Demonstration

Outreach Education

Conservation

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Cattails in Wetlands

Studying Watershed Maps

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Activities Just For Kids

1. Learn about the benefits that wetlands provide. Visit the Tualatin River National WildlifeRefuge (when open) or other local natural areas and see how many wetland characteristicsyou can identify.

2. Discover the different plants and animals that live in your watershed. Determine whichare native, which are non-native invasives, and which are migratory. Start a scrapbook ofpictures and information about each species.

3. Follow a nearby stream and notice how it changes, what grows and lives around it, andwhat happens to it when it rains. Note how it changes seasonally throughout the year.

4. Create a wildlife habitat in your backyard. Explore habitat and food preferences for thewildlife you would like to attract. Keep a record of the wildlife you see using your habitat.

5. Participate in a stream, wetland, or beach clean-up. Notice what kinds of trash arecollected. Design your own sign or poster about litter.

6. Participate in local tree plantings and maintenance events planned by the City ofSherwood. Learn how these events contribute to healthy streams.

7. Get some friends together and brainstorm ways that you can make a difference towatershed health in your community. Contact Raindrops to Refuge for further guidance.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

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For and About KidsSome Sherwood elementary school teachers teach lessons onwater quality by exploring the stormwater retention ponds in ourneighborhoods. Others have had their classes work onidentifying non-native invasive species that are present on thegreenway trails. These students made special identificationbooks that are used during greenway tours. In 2001, Sherwoodstudents designed porcelain tiles representing the natural worldthat decorate trail posts in our open spaces. The remainder ofthe tiles made a beautiful wall mural, which you can see next toSherwood Middle School’s front office.

Middle School students have the opportunity to join the Sherwood Middle School RefugeClub. This after-school club was formed three years ago. In the fall, students turn in theirapplications to join the Refuge Club. They must have an interest in and some knowledgeabout science and the natural world. Club members learn about the Refuge system andwater issues in Sherwood, perform water testing, and learn about plant and animalidentification. The Club goes on a field trip to the Refuge once a month.

During the first year, Refuge Club members workedvery hard to publish a field guide for the TualatinRiver National Wildlife Refuge. This field guide waswritten “by kids - for kids”. It focuses on the wildlifeand plants most frequently seen on the Refuge.Since then, Refuge Club members have becomeexpert tour guides of the Refuge, conducting toursfor other students from kindergarten age to highschool. This Club also gets down and dirty,collecting water samples to check the quality of thewater entering and leaving the Refuge.

Additional natural science opportunities are alsoavailable at the middle and high schools. Middleschool students do regular water testing at CedarCreek in Stella Olsen Park. High school studentsmonitor the water quality in Chicken Creek. All ofthis data is shared with government agencies thatare concerned with water quality. You can alsocheck out the Earth Service Corps program at theSherwood YMCA’s Teen Center.

Kids of Sherwood not only learn about the naturalworld around them, they help to preserve it andmake it better!

Heatherwood Restoration Site

Porcelain Tile Project

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Sherwood’s GreenwaysThe City of Sherwood has made open space preservation apriority by acquiring properties to create a City GreenwaySystem and helping lead the effort to establish the Tualatin RiverNational Wildlife Refuge. As a result, Sherwood is noted forbeing very successful in protecting its natural areas and has oneof the highest rates of open space in Oregon for each resident.

City of Sherwood Open Space and Greenway Management Program

Currently the City of Sherwood manages over 200 acres of open space, including most ofthe 100-year floodplain along Cedar Creek and its tributaries within the city limits as wellas portions along Rock Creek. These spaces provide Sherwood with all of the benefitsdescribed above.

At first, the City focused its efforts on protecting and acquiring these properties. But now itis clear that these areas are being significantly impacted by poor water quality, excessivestormwater runoff, erosion, the loss of native plant communities, the spread of nonnativeinvasive plant and animal species, and direct human disturbance. To address theseissues and restore ecosystem function to these areas, the City’s focus has changed toeffective management for all of its open spaces.

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What Good are Greenways?

• Greenways preserve local streams, wetlands, and riparian corridors.

• Greenways preserve plants that provide shade and improve air quality by creatingoxygen and by filtering air pollutants.

• Greenways protect the community from floods by serving as floodplains, and helpwetlands hold and release stormwater slowly.

• Greenways provide habitat and migration corridors for wildlife.

• Greenways provide places where local students can interact with and learn aboutthe natural environment close to home and school.

What is a Greenway? Greenways are corridors of open space areas, often along rivers or streams, that link

recreational, cultural, and natural features;provide walkways; and help to protect wildlifehabitat, forests, wetlands, and grasslands.

They have abundant natural vegetation andprovide opportunities to observe and enjoynatural areas close to home.

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Quiet Places in Urban Settings Attract Wildlife

Group ProjectsGet involved in your neighborhood by organizing a work party torestore our common areas. All work must be approved bythe City of Sherwood. Call 503-625-5522.Here are some ideas for group projects.

Storm Drain Stenciling

Storm drains empty directly into our local streams. Stencil storm drain covers to remindneighbors that hazardous chemicals that wash into storm drains can harm fish and wildlifeand pollute water.

Tree Planting and Restoration Projects

Buffer strips and trees protect water quality by absorbing pollutants before they reachstreams and other bodies of water.

Invasive Species Removal in Greenways

Removing invasive species allows our native plants to grow, providing food and habitatfor fish and wildlife.

Neighborhood Clean-Up

Picking up trash and debris beautifies our neighborhoods, helping to keep trails andsidewalks safe.

Open Space Stewardship

Accepting responsibility for a small area near your home or business improves fish andwildlife habitat, improves ecosystem functions, and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

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Woodhaven Restoration Site

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Storm Drain Stenciling Kit

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Girl Scout Planting Event

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The City employed a Natural Resource Specialist to provide oversight for the City’sOpen Space Management Program. The program oversaw restoration projects andconducted community outreach programs to increase awareness of the local watershed.Additionally, the Natural Resource Specialist recruited/coordinated volunteer activities andadvised the public and other city departments on issues related to forestry, environmentalregulations, and wildlife issues. The Natural Resource Specialist served as the City staff’sliaison to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, and worked to get partnerships andgrant funding to support the City’s restoration efforts. R2R hopes that funding will berestored to this vital position in the near future.

Cedar Creek Greenway Trail System - Enjoy It!

Currently, 6.5 miles of paved multi-use trails weave through many local greenways andneighborhoods. The trails provide recreational activities and offer an alternate means toget around town. Current trails link Old Town, city parks, the YMCA, and Sherwood’sschools. Planning is underway for additional sections of the trail system. This willeventually provide access to the Library, Senior Center, and Tualatin River NationalWildlife Refuge. You can see the current and planned greenway trails on page 6.

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Greenway Path in Sherwood

8Enjoy your Greenways!

Trail Etiquette

• Leash and pick up after your pet.

• Do not litter.

• Stay on trails to preserve the vegetation.

• No motorized vehicles.

• Bicyclists yield to pedestrians.

• Do not harass wildlife.

• Report crime.

Help preserve the quality of our trails.

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Boardwalk in Stella Olsen Park

Restoration ProgramA dynamic restoration program began in 1997 to recover losses of riparian and floodplainwetland habitats within the Tualatin River Watershed. To date, all of these restoration effortsimprove existing habitat conditions for waterfowl, shorebirds, marsh birds, neotropicalmigratory birds, amphibians, mammals, and fish. The public gains environmental benefitsthrough enhanced flood control, improved water quality, and overall watershed health.

Since the completion of the Steinborn Unit restoration project in 1998 (visible from Highway99W and Roy Rogers Road), active water and moist-soil management has stimulated atremendous response by both wetland plant communities and associated fish and wildlifespecies. Most of the herbaceous wetland plants emerged from a 100-year-old seed bank thatremained largely intact despite decades of cattle grazing and crop cultivation.

Prior to reconstruction in 1998, only 18 species of migratory birds were documentedusing this area, while 168 species have been identified to date.

The success of the restoration is monitored closely. The Refuge has documented more thanthree dozen beneficial wetland plant species such as smartweed, bulrush, cattail, beggarticks,water plantain, curly dock, millet, and a variety of rushes and sedges - all favored food sourcesfor waterfowl.

Friends of the Refuge

Friends of the Refuge (FOR) is a community-based volunteer organization that supports theTualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. FOR is dedicated to the protection and restoration ofthe Refuge for the benefit of fish and wildlife, and for public education and recreation.

To learn how you can help to restore andpreserve this unique urban Refuge, contactFOR at:

Friends of the RefugePO Box 1306

Sherwood, OR 97140503-972-7714

www.friendsoftualatinrefuge.org

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Before and After Restoration of the Steinborn Unit

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Protect These Fragile Areas

Volunteer

There are numerous rewarding opportunities for you or yourorganization to volunteer at tree plantings, clean-up events,community outreach and education events, and other group orindividual projects. To volunteer with Raindrops to Refuge,please contact us at 503-625-4223 or visit us at www.raindrops2refuge.org. Volunteeropportunities are also available with R2R’s partners including: Tualatin Riverkeepers,Friends of the Refuge, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, and the City of Sherwood.For contact information, please see page 28.

Become an Open Space Steward with the City of Sherwood

The Open Space Stewardship Program involves the citizens of Sherwood in therestoration, enhancement, and preservation of Sherwood’s wetlands, riparian areas,streams, and upland areas. These areas benefit fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, andthe community. People can sign up as individuals, families, businesses, or through churchgroups, schools, homeowners’ associations, service clubs, and conservationorganizations. Duties include cleaning up litter, removing weeds, planting native species,taking care of new plants, and performing other enhancements as needed.

Volunteers are essential to meet the mission and goals of the Open Space ManagementProgram. In one year alone, over 466 volunteers donated 2551 hours, working on variousprojects throughout the City’s open spaces. To volunteer for the City, please call503-625-5522 or visit the City of Sherwood’s website atwww.ci.sherwood.or.us/community/environment.

Open Space Stewardship Program

1. BEFORE STARTING ANY WORK: Call the Cityof Sherwood at 503-625-5522.

2. ONE-YEAR COMMITMENT: The steward(s)commit to at least a one-year period. Then youmay renew, change, or terminate the agreement.

3. PICK UP LITTER: The steward(s) monitor thenatural area for litter and commit to keeping itclean on a regular basis.

4. KEEP A RECORD: The steward(s) keep arecord of volunteer hours.

5. COORDINATE WITH THE CITY OFSHERWOOD: The steward(s) must coordinateclean-ups, plantings, and all other activities withthe Open Space Stewardship Program.Ju

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Tualatin River National Wildlife RefugeSherwood’s watersheds lead to the Tualatin River National WildlifeRefuge and into the Tualatin River. This urban Refuge is part of a93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the UnitedStates Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In the early 1990s, manylocal residents and leaders recognized that the Tualatin RiverWatershed had been highly modified by both agricuture andurbanization. This recognition fueled a desire to preserve open greenspace and create an areawhere future generations could enjoy outdoor recreation and interpretation, and leave aneducational legacy for children. The USFWS began studying the idea to create a NationalWildlife Refuge along the bottomlands of the Tualatin River. In February of 1992, the TualatinRiver National Wildlife Refuge was established.

The Refuge is one of only ten urban refuges in the nation. The Refuge restores, protects, andmanages wetland, riparian, and upland habitats for a variety of birds, fish, amphibians,mammals, threatened and endangered species, and other resident wildlife, as well asproviding for the enjoyment of people. When fully acquired, the Refuge will total 3,058 acres ofprimarily floodplain habitats.

High-priority goals for the Refuge are to protect and restore habitats for native species,migratory birds, and endangered and threatened species, as well as to providehigh-quality education, interpretation, and wildlife-oriented recreation for the public. Specialevents, such as the Songbird Festival and National Wildlife Refuge Week, are heldthroughout the year. New visitor facilities and services are being planned and constructed.The Wildlife Center, when built, will explore the wildlife and habitats of the Refuge as wellas the larger picture of watershed health and restoration.

Chicken Creek, one of the threecreeks in Sherwood’s watershed,

provides the water source for over400 acres of restored floodplains

on the Refuge.

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Restored Floodplains Provide Attractive Habitat for Waterfowl

Upstream Impacts

Like most urban streams, Chicken Creek is extremelysusceptible to flash flooding due to an increase indevelopment and impervious surfaces. During timesof intense winter and spring rains, Chicken Creekreaches full flood stage in its lower tributaries where itbisects the Refuge. Such heavy flows causeuncontrolled flooding of the Refuge wetlands andinterfere with the migration of fish heading to theupper reaches of the watershed for spawning. U

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Learn About Watershed Health

Confused by the words we use to describe the watershed and how to keep it healthy?Here are a few helpful definitions:

What is a Watershed?A watershed is the area that is confined by ridge tops thatdrains water into a given stream or river. Sherwood hasthree watersheds which cover approximately 23 squaremiles. They are created by Rock, Cedar, and ChickenCreeks. The creeks run through a mix of suburban andrural land, including nurseries, tree farms, forests, andbusinesses, and flow through the City of Sherwood tothe Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and then intothe Tualatin River.

What is a Riparian Area?A riparian area is the area along a water source where thesoil is wet, and includes the vegetation that grows there.Riparian areas provide tree canopies, contribute largewood to the stream where fish can hide, add organicmaterial that provides food sources, stabilize streambanks, and slow floodwaters. The vegetation in riparianareas provide hiding places and food sources for wildlife,create corridors for travel, and provide dead standingtrees (snags) for cavity-nesting birds and other wildlife.Quality of the water is improved by slowing floodwaters,providing shade to keep water temperatures cool, andfiltering pollutants. Most of the City of Sherwood’s greenwayslie within a riparian area or wetland.

What is a Wetland?Wetlands are important ecosystems that support largenumbers of birds, mammals, and amphibians, and are oneof the most biologically productive natural habitats. Theseremain wet for at least part of the year, although some dryout for long periods or may appear dry on the surface butare saturated below ground. Think of wetlands as hugesponges and water filters.

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You can also attend a Raindrops to Refuge workshop to learn more!

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Control Erosion

Soil erosion can be an important natural process inwatersheds for creating rich soils and for depositing wood,gravel, and sediments that assist salmon when spawning.But human activities such as cultivation, logging, grazing,urban construction, and road building speed up erosion,causing contamination of streams and a reduction in theoxygen content of water. When soil particles build up, theycan change the course of the stream over time or coverhabitats that nurture fish eggs as well as insect eggs, whichare the food source for fingerlings (juvenile fish).

How you can help: To control erosion, use mulch on exposed soil and revegetate to slowsurface water and allow time for water to soak in. Use plants whose roots will hold the soil onsteep slopes, or consider terracing.

Limit Impervious Surfaces

Impervious surfaces, such as streets and parking lots, don’tallow water to be absorbed through soil and plant rootswhere it then can be released slowly. Instead it becomes“runoff.” Rain falling on pavement has over 90% runoff. Lawnshave about 25% runoff, and forests have about 10% runoff.As development expands, rainwater and irrigation waterquickly run off into storm drains. The water empties directlyinto our streams, carrying with it pollutants picked up alongthe way, unlike water that has been filtered by pervioussurfaces such as lawns, mulch, and natural groundcovers.

How you can help: Consider using gravel or pavers instead of concrete around your home, toallow water to soak into the ground. Till heavily compacted soil, and add soil amendments toimprove growing conditions and filtration.

Care for Buffer Strips

Vegetated buffer strips along streams trap contaminantsbefore they can enter the water source. The width of thebuffer strip must increase as the slope down to the waterincreases. Planting native trees, shrubs, grasses, andwildflowers will improve runoff water quality, reduce erosion,and provide shade and habitat enhancement.

How you can help: Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly tominimize the volume of contaminated water that runs off of yourproperty. If you have a stream on your property, do not mowdown to the edge of the water or throw debris into the water.

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Stream with No Canopy

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Gravel Driveways Prevent Runoff

Erosion Due to Construction

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Car Care

When washing your car, use a bucket of wateror a hose with an on/off nozzle to save water.If possible, wash it on the grass to filtercontaminants from the runoff. Or look for acommercial car wash that recycles water andproperly disposes of runoff.

Keep your car in good repair and fix leakspromptly. Make sure that oil does not leak ontothe ground. When it rains, oil and other fluids from your car are washed into storm drainsthat empty directly into our streams and rivers. One gallon of used motor oil can pollute upto one million gallons of fresh water!

Inside Your House

Saving water starts with an awareness of how you perform everyday household activities.

• Do you use your morning shower to wake up?

Try performing some stretches and breathing exercises before entering the showerand then keep your shower short. Install flow restrictors to minimize water use.

• Do you run the water while brushing your teeth?

Simply rinse your toothbrush and turn off the water until you are finished brushing.

• Do you run the water while waiting for it to get hot?

Keep a watering can handy to capture excess water and use it to water plants.

• Do you run full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher?

Wait until your machines are full before running them.

• Do you need to replace old appliances?

When purchasing new appliances, look for energy efficient models.

A family of four could save as much as40,000 gallons of water every year byswitching to efficient toilets andshowerheads. Leaks waste almost 12% ofan average household’s yearly waterconsumption. Studies have indicated thatless than 1% of the water on the earth isdrinkable!

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Fight Invasive SpeciesInvasive species are non-native plants and animals that spread quickly through an area,often crowding out native plants and animals. These species upset an area’s naturalecological balance.

How you can help: Volunteer with the City of Sherwood, Raindrops to Refuge, TualatinRiverkeepers, or Friends of the Refuge to remove existing stands of invasive plants in streamcorridors. Do not plant any of the invasive non-native plants on the following list.

Invasive PlantsScotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea)Ivy (Hedera helix and Hedera sps.)Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor)English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)Yellow Water Iris (Iris pseudacorus)Ryegrasses (Lolium sps.)Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)English Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)Periwinkles (Vinca minor, V. major)Bamboo sps. (several genera)Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)Morning Glory (Convolvulaceae sev. genera)Deadly Nightshade (Solanaceae sev. genera)

How you can help: If you have these species on your property, check outwww.invasivespecies.gov/geog/state/or.shtml to see what you can do.

Invasive AnimalsNutria (Myocastor coypus) eat enough to eliminateentire species of native aquatic plants.

Bullfrogs (Rana catesbiana) have enormous appetitesand harm native frogs, turtles, and fish.

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) prey onnative turtles and frogs.

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) compete fornesting sites with native birds.

European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) haveaggressively taken over native bird habitat.

English Ivy

Himalayan Blackberry

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Be Water Wise

Watering Your Yard

Watering the lawn is usually the largest use of water in asingle-family home. Being wise about the way you water youryard saves water, money, and time. Over- or under-wateringcan weaken plants and make them more susceptible topests and disease. During the summer months, water usenearly doubles, and half of that extra water is wasted throughevaporation, runoff, or overwatering.

Your lawn only needs one inch of water per week to stay healthy. To water more efficiently,determine your soil type. If you have clay soil, water one time each week. If you have loamysoil, water twice a week. To conserve more water, limit the amount of lawn in your yard.Look for other water-saving tips in your water bill.

Water-Saving Tips

• Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses for beds.

• Use mulch to conserve soil moisture.

• Make sure water is soaking in to avoid wasteful runoff.

• Turn off water when not in use.

• Use a hose with an on/off nozzle when watering.

• Avoid watering pavement or walls.

• Repair leaky faucets and hoses.

• Water between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to minimize evaporation.

All You Need Is An Inch

Here’s how to determine how long your sprinkler system takes to supply an inch of water:

Step 1: Place empty tuna cans around your lawn and turn on the water for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Measure the water depth of each can and find the average depth.

Step 3: If the average depth is 1/8” = water for 2 hours, 1/4” = water for 1 hour, 1/2” = water for 30 minutes, 3/4” = water for 23 minutes, 1” = water for 15 minutes.

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Try Natural Gardening

Natural gardening is an approach to gardening that utilizes nativetrees, shrubs, and plants that have evolved to thrive in localconditions. These plants are resistant to pests and diseases,attract native wildlife, and require less care and time for busyindividuals. Natural gardening creates a healthy habitat for bothpeople and wildlife.

Native Plants

With the rich diversity of plants in the Pacific Northwest, you can easily create your ownstyle of natural beauty in your yard. Native plant species historically found in the TualatinRiver Basin are included in the list below.

SpeciesGroundcover ShrubsLady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina var.) M, SLow Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa) M, SSword Fern (Polystichum munitum) M, SBracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) M, IMSalal (Gaultheria shallon) M, S

WildflowersColumbine (Aquilegia Formosa) M, IMAsters (Aster chilensis ssp. Hallii) M, ITWestern Corydalis (Corydalis scouleri) M, SFireweed (Epilobium angustifolia) D, ITCow-parsnip (Hera clum panadum) M, IMLupines (Lupinus latifolius, L. polyphyllus) D, ITColt’s Foot (Petasites frigidus) M, SHeal-all (Prunella vulgaris) M, ITGoldenrod (Solidago canadensis) D, ITMeadow Rue (Thalictrium occidentale) M, SYouth-on-age (Tolmiea menziesii) M, IMInside-out Flower (Vancouveria hexandra) M, S

GrassesCalifornia Brome-grass (Bromus carinatus) M, ITBlue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus) W, IMWestern Fescue (Festuca occidentalis) D, IM

SpeciesLarge TreesGrand Fir (Abies grandis) M, SBigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) M, IMRed Alder (Alnus rubra) M, IMMadrone (Arbutus menziesii) D, ITOregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia) W, SBlack Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera) M, ITDouglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) D, IMWestern Crabapple (Pyrus fusca) M, IMOregon White Oak (Quercus garryana) D, ITWestern Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) M, SWestern Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) M, S

Small Trees and ShrubsVine Maple (Acer circinatum) M, SServiceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) M, IMRed-osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) W, IMBlack Hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) M, IMTall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolia) D, IMIndian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) D, IMNinebark (Physocarpus capitatus) W, SBitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata) D, IMCascara (Rhamnus purshiana) M, SRed Flowering Currant Ribes sanguineum M, IMBaldhip Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa) M, IMNootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) M, IMClustered Wild Rose (Rosa pisocarpa) M, IMThimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) M, IMSalmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) W, IMBlue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) M, IMRed Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) M, IM

Native Plants for the Sherwood Area

D = Dry Soil M = Moist Soil W = Wet Soil

S = Shade Tolerant IM = Intermediate Shade IT = Shade Intolerant

Create Wildlife Habitat

As human development expands, natural areas become smaller and more fragmented,causing habitat loss for native species and threatening biodiversity. By taking simplesteps in your backyard, you can provide a haven for wildlife. The more you rely onpesticides and fertilizers to control your garden, the less friendly it is for wildlife.

Leave small twigs, leaves, and even branches scattered around your yard to provideplaces for wildlife to hide. Dead trees and hollow logs provide homes for birds,mammals, and amphibians. Nectar plants attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.Bees pollinate many kinds of plants and can increase your fruit and vegetable yields.

Remember that all wildlife is vulnerable to pesticides and other chemicals.

To create habitat for particular wildlife such as birds, butterflies, and bees, find out whatplants they require and then include those plants in your landscape plan. For somehelpful hints, visit www.nwf.org. Your plan can be implemented in stages over severalseasons to ease the transition, or begin with a small corner area and work outward.

Native Wildlife Habitat

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Birds Nesting in Snag

THE FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS REQUIRED BY WILDLIFE

Food: berries, seeds, insects, nuts, nectar

Shelter: plant cover, rocks, cavities

Water: bird bath, saucer, pond

Territory: safe buffer zones

What types of wildlife can live in your yard?

Data courtesy of Metro Regional Services

Driveway

Porch

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-16'--32'- -12'-

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Plant Key: *=not historically found in region (gc=ground cover, sh=shrub, tr=tree, per=perennial)

1. Alaskan Cedar ’Pendula’ *2. OR Grape, creeping3. OR Grape, ‘Compacta’4. Kinnikinnick - gc5. Potentilla Gold Coin *6. Evergreen Huckleberry - sh7. Dogwood - tr, native or ‘Kousa’ *8. Yerba Buena - gc9. Oregon Sunshine - gc10. Sedum spathulifolium - gc11. Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ *12. Red-berried Huckleberry - sh13. Mock Orange - sh14. Red Currant - sh15. Edible Blueberries *, 2 kinds16. Wild Ginger - gc17. Camas Lily, blue - per18. Rhodo. macrophyllum - sh19. Western Azalea, fragrant20. Ninebark - sh21. Vine Maple - sm tr22. Pacific Wax Myrtle - sm tr23. Ninebark, mahogany leaf24. Wild Hollyhock * - per25. Twinberry Honeysuckle - sh26. Red-osier Dogwood - sh27. Red Cedar or Hemlock - tr28. OR Grape, full-sized - sh29. Spirea pyramidata * white30. Trillium ovatum white31. Black Huckleberry * - sh32. Douglas Spirea * pink -sh33. Vining Honeysuckle (ciliosa)

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Sample Site Plan for Typical Sherwood Lot

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Plant Attributes:Late Winter Bloom14, 30, 39, 40

Damp, clay soil tolerant1, 3, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17,22, 26, 27, 34, 40

Edible fruit/ bulb/ tealeaf2,3,6,8,12,15,17,28,31,36,40

Sunny Slopes2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14,28,29,32,37,38,39

Afternoon Shade (woodsy)1,2,3,4,6,7,8,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27,29,30,31,33,34,35,36,39,40

Fragrant13,14,19,32,33,37a,b

Evergreen1,2,3,4,6,7,9,10,11,18,22,2527,28,34,39

34. Ferns: Sword, Maiden, Licorice35. Douglas Hawthorn - tr36. Wild Crabapple - tr37. a. Rose ‘Nearly Wild’37. b. Rosa rugosa, small38. Ocean Spray - sh39. Silk-tassel - sh40. Indian Plum - sh

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Right Plant, Right Place

Locating the right plant in the right place is the key tosuccessful gardening with native plants. Be aware ofmoisture and light requirements of individual plants asyou plan your landscaping. Even a native will not thriveunder a tree if it requires sun. The site plan on theprevious page shows how you can use native plants toachieve attractive borders and beautiful floral displays,as well as provide a bountiful habitat for wildlife.

Plant Diversity

Using a variety of plants in your yard helps provide food and cover for wildlife and reducesthe impact of a particular pest or disease. Birds, bats, and beneficial insects can help tocontrol the number of insect pests in your yard. Remember that pesticides kill the goodbugs as well as the bad ones!

Think of your landscape in layers: the overstory (trees), the understory (shrubs), and theground cover (small plants). Try to plant a balance of all three layers to provide homes andcover for wildlife. Analyze the areas surrounding your home to see if you can provide a linkin your yard that will extend a wildlife corridor to help replace habitat that has been lost dueto urban expansion.

Look at Your Lawn

Lawns use a large amount of chemicals and water tokeep them green throughout our dry summers. Lawnsprovide little in the way of food or habitat to wildlife andare labor intensive for homeowners. Perhaps you candevelop a site plan for your property that maintainsgreenery with less emphasis on lawn, or try new seedmixes that are less demanding of water and chemicals.If you need to fertilize, use organic fertilizers.

Build Healthy Soil

Healthy soil contains a mixture of clay, silt, sand, air, water, and organic matter. By addingtwo or three inches of organic matter to your soil every year, you provide food for themicroscopic life that breaks down the organic material into elements useful for plants.Using mulch prevents weed growth, conserves soil moisture, regulates soil temperature,and protects it from erosion and compaction.

Mulching material can be found around your own yard. Grass clippings, leaves, and yarddebris (avoid weed seeds) can be composted and make an excellent organic mulch.Wood chips and bark dust make an attractive cover for walkways or around trees andshrubs. Leave a few inches bare around the trunks to prevent pest and rot damage.

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Lawn and Border Using Native Plants